Money Management

Saving Money On Superbowl Sunday

January 31, 2014 by Sherry Tingley

Football Stadium Food Display – Photo From Philly.com

Football Fans Unite

Face it. You’re in good company — among the tens of thousands who don’t hold tickets to Super Bowl XLVIII, the football event of the year. So while MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., is packed to the hilt with screaming fans Sunday, yelling for either the Denver Broncos or the Seattle Seahawks, you’re stuck with hosting an at-home version.

Last year, some 108 million people watched the Super Bowl in settings ranging from posh parties (entry fees ranging from $200 to $2,000 each) to home theater TV rooms or the local sports bar.

Whatever suits your fancy, if you find yourself the host and/or hostess to the gang, make it easy on yourself. Don’t let the decorations, goodies and clean-up take precedence over the game. If all you score is a colossal headache by Sunday night, you’ll have defeated the whole purpose.

Delegate

First of all, get help. Enlist other enthusiasts in your group to share in the chores. Gather at the largest available home and divide out the food. This is one of those occasions when potluck can work. If you fear too much overlap, keep a sign-up sheet so you don’t end up with twenty bags of chips and no dip. Otherwise, pre-assign items that are easy on the budget and on the preparation. Sideline fussy dishes with lots of ingredients. Buy with coupons and buy in bulk. Inexpensive snacks such as pretzels, chips and nuts help satisfy appetites before, after and even during the big meal. The idea is to enjoy the munchies while enjoying the game.

Pizza Deals

Pizza is popular and when it’s Super Bowl time, many of the well-known outlets have special deals that let you feed a crowd without breaking the bank. A few of the online deals being advertised include: Dominos: Choose any two or more two-topping medium pizzas for $5.99 each. Or eight pieces of chicken, an oven-baked dinner or stuffed cheesy bread, also at $5.99. Papa John’s, which is noting its 30th anniversary, has a large one-topping pizza for only 30 cents with the purchase of a large pizza at the regular menu price. The chain also has an online coupon, code pjmvp that allows you to order $15 or more online and get a free three-topping pizza. Pizza Hut has a deal that gives you two medium two-topping pizzas and two sides (or a third medium one-topping pizza) for just $19.99. As kickoff approaches, the deals are changing faster than a chalkboard game plan, so check with Living on the Cheap’s Dining Page before you make up your mind.

Dishwashing

Used to be paper plates, cups and other items saved money. But prices for these paperware items have soared in the past few years. Use your own dishes if you have enough to go around. Have guests bring their own, if necessary. You may gain in dish washing what you lose in savings on purchases, but refer back to suggestion No. 1 above. Share the chores.

Dollar Stores

The neighborhood dollar store might surprise you with the number of items you could pick up for decorating. A few pompoms and streamers can go a long way. Of course if you’re partial to either of the competing teams, focus on the colors that suit. That would be orange and blue for the Broncos, blue and lime green for the Seahawks.

Make It Easy

Most of all, remember rule No. 1. Make it fun and easy. Don’t tackle more than you’re game for, and keep some perspective as you cheer for your team. There will always be a Super Bowl XLVIX.

Bonus Recipe

This is one of the easiest recipes to make that people just love. It serves 6 to 8 people and is very filling. Certainly enough for a meal.

Cheesy Vegetable Chicken Soup

2 cups chopped broccoli
4 cups cubed potatoes
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups diced celery
1 1/2 cup chopped onions
4 cups sater
6 chicken bullion cubes

Boil the above ingredients in a large covered pan for 20-30 minutes. Drain off most of the water.

3/4 c. flour
1 cube of butter
3 cups of milk
dash of white pepper
1 lb. of Velveeta cheese
3 cans cedar cheese soup
4 cooked chicken breasts – cut into small pieces

Mix everything but the chicken together in a frying pan. Stir constantly on medium heat until soup like consistency. Add chicken. Pour into vegetable mixture. Keep warm in crock pot. Enjoy your Superbowl Sunday party!

Controlling Impulse Buying

August 27, 2013 by Sherry Tingley

“Impulse decisions, especially impulse purchases have been widely discussed in psychology and economics as a phenomenon of deviation from rational behavior.” (Vohs and Faber, 2007) We all seem to be guilty of impulse purchases once in a while, but consistently doing this can put one in the proverbial dog house, especially with lovers or spouses.

A poll of 2,000 British men revealed that men apparently do more impulse buying than
A common behavior, one woman explains:

Whenever I’m feeling lonely, stressed or bored, I go to the Mall. It makes me feel
good to buy something—shoes, cashmere sweaters, cosmetics and jewelry,
sometimes even something for the house. I just can’t pass up a sale. Last year I
bought another Channel suit on sale. Even if it’s not the right size, I can have it
altered.

What harm is there in buying something to feel good? I work hard all week, and
I deserve a little glamour. Besides, I’d rather go to a store where people pay
attention to me than go home and feel ignored or lonely. So what if I have a lot of
credit card debt—doesn’t everybody? At least I have some beautiful things to
show for myself. In this world, image is everything. . .

According to finance advisor Katheryn Amenta, Impulse shopping is caused by the inability to control the emotionally motivated urge to buy things.” She recommends that you make specific short-term and long-term financial goals. “With specific goals, you will be better equipped to resist buying things that have lesser meaning in your life.”

To stop impulse buying you have to have be able to give up what you want now to have something that you want more than anything later.

Top Twenty Impulse Buys

Food
Clothes
Magazines
Bottles of wine
Books
DVDs
Shoes
Holidays
Beer
Toiletries
Home furnishings
Music
Clothes for the children
Jewellery
Accessories
Gadgets
Garden accessories
Flowers
Toys
Day trips

What are your most common impulse buys and how do you resist them?

Fighting Credit Card Debt

July 16, 2013 by Sherry Tingley

Since the beginning of the 2008 recession in the United States the economic reality of many middle to low income families has not been a pretty sight. More and more families have struggled to meet their monthly mortgages, rents, utilities, groceries and essential living expenses. You may be struggling as well.

Unemployment and rising medical expenses have driven many people to use credit cards as a “plastic” safety net. With high interest rates on credit cards, debt can keep growing until you are experiencing a debt snowball.

The US Census projects that Americans will carry $870 billion in credit card debt in 2013.

Some may think that their lucky charm is a debt protection product which will cover expenses in times of disability. In 2009, consumers spent about $2.4 billion dollars for this type of protection.

Self Assessment

There really is no lucky charm when it comes to managing your credit card debt, but you can easily figure out if you are having difficulty managing your personal finances.

Personal Questions To Ask Yourself

Are you living paycheck to paycheck?
Do you have little or no money put aside in a savings account?
Are you unable to pay your creditors on time and are starting to receive collection calls?
Can you only afford to make the minimum monthly payment on your credit cards?
Have you taken out new loans to pay off existing debts?
Do you hide credit card bills from family members?

All of these factors can lead you to even worse problems, which will eventually, if not corrected control your life in ways you had never dreamed possible. Low credit scores can affect employment, the ability to borrow money at a reasonable rate and increased interest rates on your current credit card balances.

Solutions

The easiest solution to credit card debt problems is to get serious about saving money and paying off your debt. Going to a website like Utah Saves will let you take a pledge to save money, reduce debt, and build wealth over time as well as encourage others to do the same. So far, 310,000 people have signed up and taken “The America Saves Pledge.”

Benefits of signing up are that you will receive text messages to encourage you to save money. You have access to money management workshops. You will have access to personal financial counselors. You can also share your own money saving tips and qualify to win $25 if your story is selected.

While there, you can set up your own personal savings goal, choose the amount of money you want to save and how long you have to achieve the goal.

Getting Help

For consumers that are feeling overwhelmed by debt, you can call the National Financial Counseling Center at 1-800-351-4195 for a free confidential consultation with a Certified Financial Counselor. Plan to get out of debt today, not tomorrow!